


Undercover

by Iverna



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Captain Swan - Freeform, F/M, Outlaw Queen - Freeform, Snowing - Freeform, what even is plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-25 22:28:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14388411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iverna/pseuds/Iverna
Summary: AU where everyone is a spy or something, and they have to infiltrate a gala organised by Walsh. And it’s that classic scene where the prim-and-proper girl has to dress up all dominatrix siren, and all the guys suddenly realise how hot she is, except… not.





	Undercover

There’s a moment, when Snow walks through the door into the room where everyone is waiting, Regina on her heels, where time seems to stop. And stare.

Emma has never seen her sister in anything other than battle gear or the simple blouses and shirts that she favours for casual wear. She’s never seen her wear any more than a little, subtle make-up, black hair cut short in a pixie cut. This, however…

The black skirt is scandalously short, hugging curves that Emma didn’t know Snow even had. Snow’s hair is standing up in weird, funky spikes, her eyes rimmed with black and purple. The glittery black top shows a generous amount of cleavage and leaves her midriff bare; black, knee-high boots with spiky heels complete the ensemble.

The effect would be devastating—if Snow could just stop tugging at the hem of her skirt, if her cheeks and neck weren’t bright red, if she could just stand still or better yet, with the kind of confidence and grace she usually displays. As it is, Emma thinks, she looks exactly like someone who was stuffed into a provocative outfit in order to go undercover.

Emma tears her eyes away from the furiously-blushing temptress in the doorway to catch the guys’ reactions.

David’s mouth has dropped open. Robin is mostly looking at Regina, as if trying to figure out what exactly she was thinking. Killian’s eyebrows seem to be making a valiant bid for his hairline. As Emma watches, his eyes, too, slide to gauge David’s reaction.

“Well?” Regina asks from behind Snow. She’s doing her best to look impatient, but she’s definitely hovering, like she’s worried that Snow might bolt at any moment.

Not an unreasonable fear to have, Emma thinks. Snow seems to be wishing very hard for the ground to open up and swallow her.

“Uh,” David says.

“I’m not sure—” Emma starts, at the same time that Killian says, “I don’t think—”

They stop and look at each other. Killian clears his throat, looking almost embarrassed as he turns back to Snow. “Not to be rude, lass, but…”

“But that’s never gonna work,” Emma finishes.

Snow looks even more apprehensive than before, her fingers still tugging at the skirt. “What? What’s wrong?”

“It’s not you,” David says, apparently finding his voice and some words to go with it at last. “I mean, this… it’s not _you_.”

“You don’t like it?” Snow asks, seeming to forget her discomfort for a moment.

And now it’s David’s turn to look like he wants the ground to swallow him. Robin looks sympathetic. Killian looks like he’s holding back laughter.

“Ah, no, that’s not what I—look, I just, you don’t look very comfortable,” David manages.

“Aye, less seductive siren, more… I borrowed my sister’s clothes for my first visit to a night club,” Killian says helpfully.

Snow looks down, redder than ever. “Right. Well.”

David glares at Killian before turning back to Snow. “Not that you’re not—I mean, you look—”

“Like I’m desperate and don’t know what I’m doing?” Snow challenges.

“Like you’re uncomfortable,” Emma says before Killian can say something she’ll have to punch him for. “I should’ve thought of that. I forgot, it takes some practice to really get into that role.”

Snow still looks unsure, and Emma knows exactly what she’s thinking. She didn’t want to play the honey pot to begin with. But at the very least, she was probably hoping for a slightly more positive reaction from David.

Emma can’t blame her. Although, really, Snow ought to have realised by now that David doesn’t care what she wears, and her very obvious discomfort outweighs any other consideration for him right now. Which is actually really sweet.

Even if he’s very, very bad at communicating it.

 “I told you it wouldn’t work,” Killian says, looking far too pleased with himself, as usual. “It’s got to be Swan—“

“I _can’t_ ,” Emma cuts him off, annoyed. “Walsh would recognise me in an instant, and—“

“If you’ll let me finish, love,” he says with exaggerated patience, “I was going to say, it’s got to be you or me.”

“You?” Emma asks.

“Aye, me,” he says. “What? You don’t think I can go in there and draw attention and charm a little information out of someone?”

“I don’t think you’re his type,” Robin says.

“Ah, but I _am_ the type to make him jealous,” Killian says with a grin. “As I recall, the entire point of his endeavour is to draw a little attention and ask a few questions. I may not be able to draw _his_ eye, but I can draw those of the ladies, and that, in turn, ought to get his attention.”

“He’s got a point,” Snow offers, sounding the tiniest bit relieved already.

“Yes, well, we’re all in for it if this goes south,” Robin says. “So I’m going to need a bit more than Hook’s confidence. If Emma can’t go, why not Regina?”

“No way,” Emma says.

Killian is talking, too. “I advise against resting this mission on Regina’s ability to hold onto her temper around men with delusions of charm.”

“Yeah,” Emma says. “That.”

“Oh,” Robin says. “Right.”

Regina glares at them all. “Whatever. I am not parading around in _that_ ,” she gestures at Snow’s outfit, “just to be ogled.”

It is clearly not lost on Robin that she hasn’t ruled it out under other circumstances. Emma looks at Killian, who is definitely holding back a smirk again. He winks at her.

She looks away, clearing her throat. “Right. So we’re agreed.”

“We’re agreed that I’ll go?” Killian asks.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” David asks, sounding as sceptical as Emma feels.

But she shrugs. “We’re out of options. I can’t go, Ruby’s not here, and Regina and Snow won’t work. And no offence, if it’s got to be one of the guys…”

“It needs to be him.” Robin heaves a sigh. “Right.”

“For what it’s worth, I think it’ll work.” Regina tugs at Snow’s arm. “Come on, let’s get you back to normal.”

“Eyes up front, mate,” Killian says in a low voice as Snow walks away.

David, who is trying not to watch her and failing miserably, glares at him. “Since when are you so willing to put yourself in danger, anyway?”

Killian glares right back. “I’m not. Why don’t you just cherish the fact that it won’t be Snow or Emma?”

It’s David’s turn to smirk. “Just saying, for a guy who swore he doesn’t care about anything or anyone–”

“What do you say, Swan?” Killian interrupts. “Do I get the job?”

Emma turns to him. “Fine. You’re on.” She thrusts a finger at him. “ _Don’t_ mess it up. And no… private adventures. I am _not_ listening to you charm your way into some poor woman’s pants.”

“No need to worry on that account, love,” he assures her with another wide grin. “There’s only one pair of pants I’m interested in getting into.”

She narrows her eyes at him. He winks at her.

David glowers at him. “Hook—”

“The no doubt excessively tight leather ones I shall require for this assignment,” Killian says innocently. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and find them.”

David growls something under his breath as Killian leaves the room. Emma doesn’t catch all of it, but she’s pretty sure it ends with, “kill him.”

She’s inclined to agree.

**Author's Note:**

> There might be a part 2 if I can manage it, but if so, it'll probably veer more towards Captain Swan than anything else. Thanks for reading!


End file.
